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Madu

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Madu

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Summary

Dreams can come true in a life-affirming feature-length documentary directed by Matt Ogens and Joel 'Kachi Benson. Anthony Madu discovered ballet at the age of five in Nigeria and the youngster pursued his passion until a viral video of him dancing barefoot in the rain in Lagos changed his world forever. At the age of 12, he was offered the chance to study for seven years at the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School, which has close ties with Birmingham Royal Ballet. Separated from his familial support system, Anthony faces self-doubt and homesickness as he chases his dream and searches for acceptance and belonging among a vibrant community of fellow dancers. His body is pushed to the limit in pursuit of excellence as he repeatedly vows to make his family proud

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Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Dave Golder

This uplifting fly-on-the-wall documentary tells the story of a working class Nigerian boy who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. In 2020, aged 11,Anthony Madu became an internet sensation when his dance teacher posted a video of him pirouetting barefoot in the rain. That video came to the attention of the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, who offered him a scholarship. The documentary follows Madu as he embarks on his new life, and the result is a sumptuous-looking film which evocatively captures Madu's passion in both solo and ensemble dance sequences. While co-directors Matthew Ogens and Joel Kachi Benson never manage to get Madu to fully open up, their film does contain some heart-tugging moments of insight, such as the scene in which his family notice the boy is starting to speak with a British accent.

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5.4/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameAnthony MaduAnthony Madu

Crew

rolenameDirectorMatthew OgensDirectorJoel Kachi Benson

Details

Released on

2024-03-29

Languages

English

Formats

Colour

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